Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Ashish Mishra, accused of killing four farmers, to face trial; charges to be framed tomorrow

Ashish Mishra, the son Union MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni, will face trial for allegedly running over four farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri last year. A local court rejected Mishra’s appeal to be dropped from the case and said that charges against him will be framed on Tuesday (December 6). 

On November 25, the Supreme Court, while hearing Mishra’s bail plea, had asked the trial court to fix the matter for framing of charges. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Vikran Nath was told that though the chargesheet was already submitted, the trial court was yet to pass appropriate orders regarding framing of charges. Noting that that the matter will come before the trial court on November 29, the court asked it to frame charges within a week.

On October 3 last year, a convoy of three SUVs, including a Thar owned by Ajay Mishra, ran over a group of protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. Four farmers and a journalist were killed and several others were injured. In the violence that followed, two BJP leaders and the driver of the Thar vehicle were killed.

The SIT had arrested 13 persons, including Ashish Mishra, for the killing of farmers and a journalist. On January 3, the SIT filed a chargesheet against 14, including Ashish Mishra and his uncle, Virendra Shukla.

The Allahabad High Court had granted bail to Mishra on February 10, but it was set aside by the Supreme Court bench comprising the then CJI NV Ramana, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli in April 2022 after noting that the High Court took into account irrelevant considerations and ignored relevant factors.